Nyahururu Athletics Club is Kenya’s future in the middle distance events at international level competition, according to an athletics coach Jacob Langat.
Langat said he sees the country remaining competitive in the events at the world level because there were several upcoming runners at the Nyahururu Athletics Club in 800 metres, 1,500m and 3,000m whose future looks bright.
The upcoming runners are Collins Kipruto and Nicholas Kiplang’at both running 800m, Reynald Kipkorir 1,500m Gilbert Rono 800m, Peninah Wangari 800m/1,500m, Ernest Kiprotich and Maureen Chepkirui 800m.
“Apart from Kipruto, Wangari and Kiplang’at who are in the senior category, all the rest are juniors and that gives me hope that soon the middle distance will belong to Nyahururu,” the coach said.
His efforts are already paying off after one of his athletes, Reynald Kipkorir, won a gold medal in 1500m at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia in South America this year.
He said he expected also gold in the Under-20 800m because Noah Kibet was in top shape when he won trials in Nairobi, but unfortunately he never performed well after trials.
Currently, about ten middle-distance athletes are training under him at the Nyahururu Athletics Club.
“I know soon the world will start seeing more middle-distance runners from Nyahururu,” he said.
He added that it is advisable for coaches to specialize in given events that have similar training programmes.
He said the training programme for middle-distance runners is uniform, making it easier for a coach to train 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m runners grouped together.
“When a long-distance runner approaches me for training, I normally refer such athletes to my colleagues who handle 5,000m or 10,000m runners here in Nyahururu. They also refer middle distance runners to me,” he said.
By Antony Mwangi
